Applications such as games conventionally award a user with a game object (e.g., a game character, an item, etc.) that is chosen by a draw of lots (termed “Gacha”).
Conventionally, a Gacha draw simply awards a user with an object that is chosen according to a predetermined rule, and there is no room for user's intention to be reflected in the process of the draw. This has resulted in a problem that the user is easily frustrated with the draw result.
Thus, the present application discloses an information processing system, a server, a storage medium storing information processing program and an information processing method, with which the user's intention can be reflected in the draw-based object awarding process.
(1)
An example of the information processing system described in the present specification includes a server capable of communicating with a terminal device capable of executing an application. The information processing system includes a storage unit, a draw instruction accepting unit, a set-of-choices determination unit, a display control unit, a selection instruction accepting unit and an object awarding unit. The storage unit is provided on the server and configured to store information regarding a plurality of objects in the application executed on the terminal device. The draw instruction accepting unit accepts an instruction from a user of the application for a draw through which the user obtains an object in the application. The set-of-choices determination unit is provided on the server and determines a predetermined number of objects or object groups as a set of choices in response to the draw instruction, the predetermined number being two or more. The display control unit displays information regarding the selection candidates included in the determined set of choices on a display section of the terminal device. The selection instruction accepting unit accepts a selection instruction from the user to select one of the selection candidates. The object awarding unit is provided on the server and awards the user with an object corresponding to the selection candidate selected by the selection instruction.
(2)
The set-of-choices determination unit may determine the predetermined number of objects as a set of choices. The display control unit displays predetermined information assigned to the objects included in the set of choices on the display section.
(3)
The set-of-choices determination unit may determine the predetermined number of object groups as a set of choices. The display control unit may display predetermined information representing the groups included in the set of choices on the display section.
(4)
The objects may each be assigned at least one of a plurality of attributes, the number of attributes being smaller than the number of objects. The predetermined information may be information representing the attributes assigned to the objects.
(5)
After a selection instruction for each of the selection candidates is accepted, the display control unit displays, on the display section of the terminal device, information regarding the remaining selection candidates excluding the selection candidate that has been selected by the selection instruction. The selection instruction accepting unit may accept an additional selection instruction for selecting one of the remaining selection candidates. The object awarding unit may award an object corresponding to the selection candidate that has been selected by the additional selection instruction to the user.
(6)
In response to acceptance of the selection instruction selecting the remaining selection candidate, the display control unit may be capable of executing the process of displaying, on the display section of the terminal device, a new set of remaining selection candidates excluding the selection candidate that has been selected by the selection instruction, until there is no longer selection candidate left. Each time a new set of remaining selection candidates is displayed, the selection instruction accepting unit may accept an additional selection instruction.
(7)
The storage unit may store the number of points owned by the user in the application. The selection instruction accepting unit may accept an additional selection instruction at least on the condition that points owned by the user are decreased. The selection instruction accepting unit may be configured so that the number of points that is required for a first selection instruction to be given when the number of selection candidates that can be selected is equal to a first number is smaller than the number of points that is required for a second selection instruction to be given when the number of selection candidates that can be selected is equal to a second number greater than the first number.
(8)
The storage unit may store state information in which information regarding selection candidates that can be selected by a selection instruction is associated with information regarding the user who can give the selection instruction.
(9)
When the application is resumed in response to a resumption instruction from the user after the application was discontinued while information regarding the selection candidates was displayed on the display section, the display control unit may display, on the display section, information regarding the selection candidates that were displayed before the discontinuation, by using the state information stored in the storage medium.
(10)
The storage medium may store the number of points owned by the user in the application. The draw instruction accepting unit may accept the draw instruction at least on the condition that a predetermined number of points are subtracted from the points owned by the user.
(11)
The information processing system may further include a point awarding unit. The point awarding unit increases the number of points stored in the storage unit for a user on the condition that the user is charged for the added points.
(12)
The draw instruction and/or the selection instruction may be accepted on the condition that the user is charged for the instruction.
(13)
The draw instruction accepting unit, the display control unit and the selection instruction accepting unit may be provided on the server. The draw instruction accepting unit may receive information of the draw instruction that is transmitted from the terminal device based on an input from the user performed on the terminal device, thereby accepting the instruction. The display control unit may transmit information regarding selection candidates included in the determined set of choices to the terminal device, thereby displaying the information on the display section of the terminal device. The selection instruction accepting unit may receive information of the selection instruction that is transmitted from the terminal device based on an input from the user performed on the terminal device, thereby accepting the selection instruction.
(14)
The information processing system may further include a game process unit configured to execute a predetermined game process using an object that has been awarded to the user.
Note that the present specification discloses examples of the server and the terminal device set forth in (1) to (14) above, and discloses a storage medium storing information processing program instructing a computer of an information processing device to function as the various units of the server or the terminal device. The present specification also discloses an information processing method to be executed on the information processing system set forth in (1) to (14) above.
With the information processing system, the server, the storage medium storing information processing program and the information processing method set forth above, user's intention can be reflected in the draw-based object awarding process.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.